1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a card connector device utilized with an Integrated Circuit (IC) card used, for example, as a memory medium in a personal computer or with a Multi Media Card (MMC) used in electronic equipment and the like such as a digital camera.
2. Description of the Related Art
IC card connector devices are generally used as a recording device additionally installed in personal computers and the like. The IC card has been widely used as the memory medium of an IC card connector device.
The IC card is fitted into the IC card connector device to carry out the writing and reading of necessary information. A plurality of contacts are provided in the IC card and a header in the IC card connector device is provided with connection terminals having a plurality of contact portions corresponding to arrangement positions of the plurality of contacts provided in the IC card. Also, in the header, a plurality of solder portions soldered to a circuit pattern portion of a circuit board to which the IC card connector device is adhered, are formed and projected, and the contact portions and the respective solder portions become electrically connected within the header.
Also, among IC cards, there are IC cards in which, in order to prevent the destruction of an internal IC circuit of the IC card due to an inrush current and the like when being connected to connection terminals, a connection sequence with the corresponding connection terminals is prescribed. In general, a method for prescribing the connection sequence is carried out by differing the positions where the contact portions of the connection terminals on the IC card connector device connect with the corresponding contacts on the IC card.
In order to differ the connecting positions of the contact portions of the connection terminals with the corresponding contacts on the IC card, respective positions of the connection terminals with respect to the header on the IC card connector are suitably shifted forward and backward in the IC card-inserting direction.
However, in the structure of the header of the conventional IC card connector device described above, there is a problem in that the length of the supporting portion of the connection terminal of the header increases due to this forward and backward shifting of the connection terminals in the IC card inserting direction. Thus, miniaturization of the whole connector device cannot be accomplished.
Also, in order to adjust the positions of the respective connection terminals without shifting forward and backward, there is a method of differing the lengths from the supporting portions of the connection terminals to the contact portions. But this method has a problem in that contact pressures on the contacts of the IC card can change according to the lengths from the supporting portions of the connection terminals.
Therefore, the present invention is made in order to solve the above problems, and thus an object of the present invention is to provide a card connector device in which supporting positions of the plurality of connection terminals with respect to the header are formed on the same straight line without being shifted forward and backward and in which the rigidity of the respective supporting portions increases as the length from the supporting portions of the connection terminals gets longer, so that the contact pressures of the connection terminals are uniform and miniaturization of the whole connector device can be accomplished.
In a first means for solving the above problems according to the present invention, a card connector device comprises: a header provided side by side with a plurality of connection terminals made of electrically conductive metal plate; and a frame in which the header is arranged at one end thereof and into which is fitted a card with a plurality of contacts capable of electrical connection to corresponding connection terminals. The connection terminals are provided with a supporting portion supported by the header and a contact portion elastically contacted with corresponding contacts of the card at a free end extended from the supporting portion, wherein the connection terminals are formed so that the supporting portions are positioned side by side on a straight line in the direction perpendicular to a card-inserting direction. The lengths from the supporting portions to the contact portions differ and, at the same time, as the length from the supporting portion to the contact portion increases, the rigidity of the supporting portion increases.
Also, in a second means according to the present invention, the connection terminals are formed so that the supporting portions are positioned side by side on a straight line in a direction perpendicular to a card-inserting direction. The lengths from said supporting portions to contact portions differ and at the same time, as the length from the supporting portion to the contact portion increases, the width of the supporting portion increases.
Also, in a third means according to the present invention, the header is arranged at a front end in the card-inserting direction of the frame and the connection terminals are provided with solder portions which are projected from the front side of the header to be soldered to a circuit board.
Also, in a fourth means according to the present invention, the connection terminals are integrally molded in the header through the supporting portions.